Liquid distributor for cooling apparatus



L. R. OBERT LIQUID DISTRIBUTOR FOR COOLING APPARATUS I Jan. 20, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1950 F/! Q ER m 5 EN N 8 m a W 7 N 5 a a a W F M W a 5 5 +0 0 0 '0 0 0 O 0 O O O 0 0 0 0 0 0 o -awo Jan. 20, 1953 R. OBERT 2,626,129

LIQUID DISTRIBUTOR FOR COOLING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 24, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 28w I I 24 22 +o+o+o+o+o+o+o+ 7 o o o o o o o o 27 O O O O O O O 34 0'0 0 O O O O ooooooo-- 34' oooooooc/ 35 -0oooooo O O O O O O O O 'ooooooo oooooooof ArroRA/EYs.

Jan. 20, 1953 L. R. OBERT LIQUID DISTRIBUTOR FOR COOLING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 24, 1950 m. w 4 e K I\ a Q m N a 'Hl a 1 T Z I l I Q a 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ZHWRE/VCE A. 05537;

INVENTOR.

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Jan. 20, 1953 L. R. OBERT I 2,626,129

LIQUID DISTRIBUTOR FOR COOLING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 24, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 & 4

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Patented Jan. 20, 1953 LIQUID DISTRIBUTOR FOR COOLING APPARATUS Lawrence R. Obert, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Industrial Manufacturers Ltd., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application February 24, 1950, Serial N 0. 146,089

8 Claims. (01.257-37) My invention relates to liquid distributors for coolingapparatus and included in the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide in an apparatus of this class, a liquid distributor involving complementary units defining liquid distributor passages and so arranged that the units may be readily separated to expose the walls of said passages so that they may be readily andeiiectively cleaned.

. Second, to provide a liquid distributor wherein said readily separable complementary units may be adjusted relative to each other to regulate the volume of liquid flowing therethrough or may be moved or worked relative to each other to effect cleaning of their confronting walls without actual removal of either unit.

Third, to provide a liquid distributor which directs water or other liquid in thin uniform sheets so as to cause uniform flow around and in intimate heat transferring relation with cooling tubes or the like, disposed coplanarly with said sheets of water, thereby to provide a heat exchanging effect of maximum efficiency.

With the above and other objects in view as may appear hereinafter, reference is made to the accompanying drawings,\in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cooling tower or heat exchanger involving my invention, one wall of the housing being broken away to illustrate the construction therein.

' Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view substantially in the plane 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the weir trough and redistributor trough.

. Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through 33 of Figure 2, with portions in elevation.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the redistributor trough with one end plate separated therefrom.

Figure 5 is a sectional view through 5--5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper or removable grating unit.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lower or fixed grating unit.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 5, showing a modified form of fixed grating unit.

The cooling tower or the like, with which my invention is associated, includes a housing structure I set in a pan or basin 2. Suitably disposed in the side walls of the housing are air intakes 3 and the top of the housing is provided with air outlets or fan stocks 4, in which are mounted suitable fans 5.

system 6 which discharges water over a series.

of grid bafile units I. Above the spray system 6. may be disposed a water separator 8 in the form. of bafiles, for the purpose of minimizing the loss. of water with the discharging air. Below the grid bafile units I is a collector pan 9 having a series of discharge tubes I0 disposed in rows so, as to direct the water into weir troughs I I.. The. weir troughs may be suspended from the collector pan 9 or suitable framework by means of. suspension rods I 2. The weir troughs are shallow and elongated. Their side walls I3 diverge. andare provided with notches [4. Water issuing. laterally through the notches I4 falls. upon fiow directing plates I5 disposed at opposite sides of the weir trough. The flow-directing plates I5 are supported from the weir troughs by pivot mountings I6. The lower extremities of. the flowdirecting plates I5 confront each other to form a discharge-slot, the width of which maybe adjusted'by means of tie-chains II.

Mounted below each weir trough I I so as to receive the water therefrom is a redistributor unit 2|. Each redistributor unit includes side rails 22 connected at their extremities by end plates 23. The side rails are provided with several brace blocks 24 which back sloping side walls 25 extending between the end plates 23. Mounted between the side walls 25 is a lower or .fixed distributor grating 26. This grating comprises a plurality of slots 21 which are diamond-formin cross section and extend lengthwise with respect to the trough. .The slats are supported and secured by cross cleats 28 extending between the side rails 22.

For purposes which will be brought out herein: after, the slats 21 need not in all cases be diamond-shaped as shown in Figures 2, 4, 5 and '7, but may be triangular in form as indicated by 21a in Figure 8.

Fitted within the redistributor trough is an upper or removable distributor grating 29 comprising a plurality of longitudinal .slats 30 of triangular cross section. These slats are disposed with their apexes directed downwardly and are joined together by their upper or base sides by cross cleats 3|. The removable distributor grating is also provided with a longitudinal reinforcing bar 32 having a series of slots 33 in its underside. These are so arranged that a pry member 34 may be inserted from the side, as shown in Figure 5', for the purpose of agitating or removing the distributor grating 29. The slats of the removable distributor grating nestle between the slats of the lower distributor grating to provide therewith pairs of downwardly converging narrow passages for the flow of water. The water issuing from these passages drains particularly in sheet form from the depending apexes of the upper grating slats 30.. The remaining water clings to the sides of the slats 27 and drains likewise in sheet form from the depending apexes thereof.

Mounted below each redistributor unit are a series of heat exchanger tubes 34 arranged in rows which are coplanar with respect to thesheets of water issuing from the apexes of the slats 2'! and 30. With reference to Figure 8,. all of the water drains from the depending apexes of the slats 30. In either case, theheatexchanger-tubes are mounted between suitable headers 35'.

It will be observed that when the upper grating unit is removed, the walls of the passagesdefined between the two grating units are exposed and" can be readily cleaned. This is of primary importance due to-the fact'thatalgae growth tends to clog the passages and needs to be removed from timeto time. Also scum, scale or dirt, deposit on these surfaces; Such clogging interferes with uniform distribution of' the water over the coil sections and reduces the efficiency of heat transfer. It is not always necessary to remove the upper grating. Many times, effective cleaning can be obtained by merely inserting a pry member; asshown in Figure 5,- and agitating or shaking. the upper grating unit.

Having fully described my invention, it is to beun'd'e'rstood that I d'o'not wish to be-limited to the" details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A. liquid distributor structure, involving: a lower fixed grating structure including a plurality of slats of wedge form having upwardly dirested apexes; an upper removable. grating, structure includinga plurality of slats of wedge form nestled between the slats of the. fixed ratin structure and. having depending apexes and 'meansrigidly connecting the second-mentioned slats to permittheir removal as a unit; the slats of Said grating structure defining converging pairs of liquid passages of uniform cross section for gravity flow of liquid intersecting below the slate of the removable grating structure and forming with the apexes thereof means for free falling discharge of liquid in sheet form.

-2. A: liquid distributor structure, involving: a trough including a plurality of bottom slats of diamond cross section forming upwardly an downwardly directed apexes; a removable gratingunitincluding a plurali y f sla s Of n lar cross section disposed with their: apexes directed downwardly, said slats. nestled between the bottom slats of said trough to define therewith pairs of converging liquid dischargepassages and meansconnecting the slats of said removable grating. unit to permit their removal as a unit; thedownwardly directed apexes of said bottom slats and grating slats forming a series of paralleldrain lips tending. to cause water issuing from said-trough to fall in parallel sheets.

3. A heat exchanger apparatus, involving: a housing structure; means for producing an updraft of air therein; a water spray system in said air stream; a bafiie member to divide and distribute water from said spray to lose heat to said air stream; a collector for said water below said baflie members; weir troughs adapted to receive water from said collector for flow in sheet form over the sides thereof; redistributor troughs for receiving the water from said weir trough; each redistributor trough including a bottom grating defining V channels; a removable grating having V slats nestled in said channels to define with said bottom grating, converging pairs of fluid courses formingslits for discharge of water in thin sheets said removable grating unit having means rigidly connecting said slats to form 'a structure removable as a unit from said bottom grating; and a plurality of heat exchanger tubes disposed coplanarly with respect to water discharged from said slits.

"4; A heat exchanger apparatus, involving: a housingstructure; means for producing an up draft of" air therein; a water spray system in said air stream; a baflie member to divide and distribute water from said spray to lose heat to said airrstream; a collector for said water below said bafile members; weir troughs adapted to receive water from said collector for. flow in sheet form over the sides thereof; redistributor troughs for receiving the water from said weir trough; each redistributor trough includingra plurality of bottom slats of diamond cross section forming upwardly and downwardly directed apexes; a removable grating unit including a plurality of slats of triangular cross section disposed with their apexes directed downwardly, said slats nestled between the bottom slatsof said trough to define therewith pairs of converging liquid discharge passages said removable grating also including cross members securing the secondmentioned slats in rigid relation and permitting removal of said removable grating unit as a unit; the downwardly directed apexes of said bottom slats and grating slats forming a series of parallel drain lips tending to cause water issuing from said trough to fall in parallel sheets; and heat exchanger tubes disposed coplanarly with the sheets of water issuing from said redistributor troughs.

5. A heat exchanger, involving: a plurality of horizontally extending heat exchanger tubes arranged in vertical parallel columns; a distributor trough disposed above said tubes; fixed lower gratin structure defining V channels in the bottom of said trough; a removable upper grating structure including wedge slats fitting said V channels to form convergin pairs of flow passages having discharge ends disposed coplanarly with'said columns of heat exchanger tubes to direct water against and around said heat exchanger tubes; said upper grating structure also including means for joining said slats in. rigid relation whereby said grating structure may be removed as aunit, the walls of said fiow passages being exposed upon. removal of said upper grating structure to facilitate cleaning.

'6'; A liquid distributor structure, involving: a first grating structure including a plurality of parallel slats defining downwardly converging walls and forming. relatively large flow passages therebetween; a second grating structure including a plurality of parallel slats definin upwardly converging walls and forming relatively large flow passages therethrough; said grating structures constructed to intermesh to restrict said flow passages and separable to permit cleaning of said fiow passages.

'7. A liquid distributor structure, involving: a trough, a fixed grating structure in the bottom thereof includin slats having upwardly diverging walls; a removable grating structure adapted to cooperate with said fixed grating structure and including slats having downwardly converging walls to define therewith the opposed walls of alternately converging and diverging fiow passages, said Walls being exposed, when said grating structures are separated and accessible for cleaning.

8. A liquid distributing structure, comprising: a fixed grating unit comprising a plurality of slats of diamond-shaped cross section adapted for film flow of water by gravity over their sides for discharge in sheet form from their lower apexes; a removable grating unit comprising a plurality of slats of triangular shape, with depending apexes between the upper apexes of the diamond-shaped slats of said fixed grating structure, said triangular slats likewise adapted for film flow of water over their surfaces to their dependin apexes for discharge in sheet form therefrom, the confronting surfaces of the slats of each grating surface converging and readily accessible on separation of said gratings for cleaning.

LAWRENCE R. OBERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

